SAN JOSE -- It was growing up with a sister suffering from the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis that set LeAnna Gomez on a career path dedicated to medical marijuana.

"She had it since she was 8 years old," said Gomez, who has since become CEO of the San Jose-based Papadon's collective. "She was addicted to painkillers and had major surgeries -- she had twisted toes and they had to break her ankles to straighten her feet. She already had a shot liver and underdeveloped organs from years of being on pharmaceuticals." But when her sister got on treatments of edible cannabinoids, effects were dramatic. The vomiting stopped, her organs healed and she was able to rise from her wheelchair.

Gomez was one of about a dozen concerned parties who met with Santa Clara County officials this week to urge them not to enact a ban on dispensaries. In the wake of San Jose's new stricter regulations, they told officials that it would create more hardships for patients, who are already running out of places to get their medicine.

Since the city passed its new rules on where and how the collective can operate, Gomez has lost three of five operations and is desperately looking for compliant new digs to save what's left.

"I've been looking night and day for those 630 parcels," she said of the 1 percent of the city where cannabis clubs are still allowed. "They're not available. They're occupied."

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County officials are preparing to recommend a total ban on dispensaries in unincorporated areas when the board of supervisors returns from its summer hiatus on Aug. 5. Similar laws have been passed in Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill and Sunnyvale. Statewide, about 200 municipalities have adopted such a ban.

"I'm homeless with cancer, and now I have to deal with this?" said Zsa Zsa Taylor, who was left in the lurch when the tincture that helps her disappeared from San Jose shops last week because of rules on what can still be sold. "Now I'm trying to find a black market connection to get my oil. I've never done anything illegal in my life, and now I have to go illegal."

Deputy County Executive Sylvia Gallegos said that after consulting with the sheriff, district attorney and other county bodies, "every single department was emphatic that we institute a ban, not strictly regulate" cannabis clubs.

Gallegos said the county is very sympathetic to legitimate medical concerns. She plans to recommend to the board of supervisors that the county monitor the fallout from San Jose's restrictions; if the number of outlets falls below a threshold that can be considered sufficient for patient needs, the board can revisit the issue and possibly undo the ban.

"But if we do that, the regulations are going to be pretty robust," she said.

That would include distance regulations from spots that might be adversely affected, and measures to ensure that only patients get medicine that comes from the facilities.

"They would have to be pretty dang stringent," she said. "But at this moment, we think there is enough patient access."

Advocates said that instead of a complete ban, they would rather the county extend the moratorium and develop a better model while working closely with dispensaries and patients.

"A ban is craziness," said Scott Lane, who is not a patient or involved in the business but said he believes the county is poised to follow San Jose in bad governance based on biased studies. "The county has always been a safety net of last resort. This is right in your ballpark."

Because of the new rules imposed by San Jose in June, all but about seven to 10 of the city's 78 dispensaries will be illegally operating within a year.

County officials said there were concerns that as a result, shops would pop up in the unincorporated, rural areas. And that could mean a foothold for outlets selling the drug recreationally, if an expected state initiative to legalize pot qualifies for the ballot and is approved by voters in 2016.

Opponents have pointed to studies that showed kids were indeed getting their marijuana at legal dispensaries and cited medical stats revealing detrimental effects on developing minds. Youth access is a concern shared by federal authorities, said Gallegos, as well as the question of where the drugs come from.

"The sheriff and DA busted some people and found the source had been affiliated with organized drug cartels," she said. "And I don't think anyone wants to support organized drug cartels."

Speakers also said the weed businesses were detrimental to the character of suburban neighborhoods and added to crime and blight.

John Lee, who led the recent failed signature campaign for a cannabis club referendum in San Jose, said there's more to worry about if only illegal sources remain.

"The black market is already increasing," he said. "It has the exact opposite effect, and we're putting our children in danger. I can take you to a street corner right now and show you a gang member saying, 'Hey, I'm open for business.'"